Jack is a freshman at the local college. As a student, he is feeling pressure. He wants to party like the rest of his fraternity brothers, while at the same time, he wants to maintain his 4.0 grade point average. Sociologists would say that Jack is experiencing _________.

Question

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Jack is experiencing role strain, which is the tension and pressure associated with trying to meet the expectations associated with a single role. In this case, Jack is feeling the strain of wanting to party like his fraternity brothers (an expectation associated with his role as a college student) while also maintaining a 4.0 GPA (another expectation associated with his role as a student). Role conflict (A) refers to the tension and pressure associated with trying to balance the expectations of multiple roles, such as being a student, employee, and parent. Role incompatibility (B) is not a term commonly used in sociology. Role reversal (C) refers to a situation where one person takes on the roles usually associated with another person, such as when a child becomes the caregiver for a parent.

Jack Is a Freshman at the Local College